Recently I was contacted by the film-maker Sean Murray who was anxious to know if I had any dealings with loyalist Clifford Peeples. Like many journalists and academics I do know Mr Peeples. My contacts range far and wide across the political spectrum in Northern Ireland. It has been essential to my research over the past 25 years. This article explains the rationale for maintaining a wide and diverse array of contacts in a divided society like Northern Ireland.
